7.62x51 / .308

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Snake plissken

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i know that interchanging surplus ammo for .223 is a no no but whats the story with .308 is the head space and cartridge pressure compatible to use on a civilian rifle ?
 
Snake plissken said:
i know that interchanging surplus ammo for .223 is a no no but whats the story with .308 is the head space and cartridge pressure compatible to use on a civilian rifle ?
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Never had a problem with 5.56mm in .223 regardless of what the experts tell you. .308 brass is weaker than 7.62 NATO so you could have a problem if you had a sloppy chamber on a M-305 or similar rifle or headspace issues (that's not good regardless of which 7.62X51 your shooting). Never heard of a problem though it is a possiblity. The only real issue in my opinon is reloading at the edge using NATO brass. Thicker brass means less capacity. A safe load in .308 brass may couse pressure issues in 7.62. The same thing is possible with 5.56 NATO brass.

I wouldn't worry to much. Like I said never had a problem. If your worried pay attention to the first few shots, any pressure signs stop shooting that ammo.

If you look in most reloading manuals you will see that loads for service rifles (7.62X51 NATO) are not as powerful as loads for .308 Win. Hornady's manual has a Service Rifle section. Unlike the 5.56/.223 business it's .308 in a service rifle that can cause issues not the other way around. .308 (some) could cause damage over time in an M-305/M1A.
 
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thanks for the info i been looking into getting a M700 and been trying to make a decision between chambering choices to get as much trigger time as i can get without starting into reloading
if i can manage to get away with using 7.62x51 for a little more then what case of .223 is going for then i think that's probably the route im going to take

Edit: just noticed my initial post was slightly misworded i had intended to ask about the compatibility of using nato in a .308 stamped rifle but it seems my question got answered none the less
 
Snake plissken said:
thanks for the info i been looking into getting a M700 and been trying to make a decision between chambering choices to get as much trigger time as i can get without starting into reloading
if i can manage to get away with using 7.62x51 for a little more then what case of .223 is going for then i think that's probably the route im going to take
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If it's your first rifle .223 might be a better choice. Regardless of which you pick the sooner you start to reload the better.
 
redshooter said:
If it's your first rifle .223 might be a better choice. Regardless of which you pick the sooner you start to reload the better.
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il be deff getting into reloading in the future...as far as kick goes from the .308 i have done some shotgun shooting so not too concerned if nothing else il use snap caps to work on the flinch if i start to develop any
 
The short answer is that you can shoot military 7.62x51 NATO in a commercial .308 Winchester rifle. The ammo fits, and its pressure is safe (nominally, it is lower than commercial)

If you reload, or if you want to shoot commercial .308W in a sloppy military 7.62x51 chamber, there are more things which you should be aware of.
 
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